Currant: On The Importance Of Loosening And Watering

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Often, inexperienced gardeners, having once collected an enviable crop of black currant, in subsequent years complain that the shrub no longer gives berries also generously. However, due to a lack of experience, some owners of personal plots still do not know that for rich fruiting, such measures for caring for currants as loosening the soil and watering must be carried out not only before the time of harvesting, but also after it

The importance of watering currants at different stages of development

Currant bushes, not only of the black variety, but also of its red relative, are very hygrophilous, and therefore impose special requirements on the condition of the soil on the site. And it is important to water the plantings in those periods that are most decisive in the development of the plant:

• during intensive growth of the bush;

• at the moment when the ovary appears on the branches;

• in the days of development of the ovary;

• during the period of pouring currant berries;

• after harvest.

In each of these phenophases, the lack of watering leads to developmental disruptions that threaten the loss of the crop. Among them:

• growth retardation of shrubs;

• chopping berries;

• premature shedding of the crop.

It would seem that the lack of watering after picking berries will not affect the yield in any way. However, dry conditions will negatively affect the preparation of the plant for winter. If you do not take care of moistening the soil in summer, in the last weeks of August, then in winter this will lead to freezing of shrubs. Also, in dry weather in the autumn months, it is useful to carry out additional sub-winter watering.

Irrigation technology

To carry out high-quality irrigation, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures before moistening the soil. For this, grooves are dug around the shrubs or grooves are made about 10-15 cm deep. They should be located at a distance of about 30 cm from the ends of the branches. It is into these recesses that watering is carried out overlapping.

It is necessary that moisture penetrates the entire depth of the root layer. And it is from 40 to 60 cm. To achieve this goal, the water consumption must be at least 30 liters per 1 square meter. In order not to flood the shrubs, no more than 50 liters are used for this area.

Caring for the soil around shrubs

In order for the soil to be moistened at the required level, it is important that the soil is maintained in the correct condition: it is loose enough, without a surface crust, and not littered with weeds. It takes a lot of work to achieve this goal. To do this, every 15-20 days you need to carry out loosening and weeding around the bushes.

How deep should the loosening be carried out? It depends on how close this work is to the bush. The closer to the currant, the more likely it is to damage the roots if you dig deep. For the same reason, it is recommended to use a garden pitchfork for digging and loosening, rather than a shovel. Therefore, next to the bushes, loosening is done no deeper than 8 cm, and in the aisles you can go down to 12 cm in depth.

In the summer months, when moisture evaporates faster and weeds spread more actively, mulching the soil becomes a great help for the gardener. And if you cover the ground around the currants with mowed grass, compost or peat, loosening can be done less often. This mulch will save moisture and become a barrier to weeds.

Mulching with organic materials is also beneficial because, when loosening, they improve the quality of the soil. When synthetic films are used as mulch, the shelter must be removed from time to time in order to restore air exchange and other natural processes in the earth, as well as to carry out loosening and watering. In addition, the artificial film is removed completely in the fall in order to dig the earth.